Feeding Guide for

Hospitalized Dogs and Cats

When to intervene in a hospitalized patient

Days of anorexia/hyporexia (include days of anorexia/hyporexia at home)

5 days: Nutritional support is required!

Place feeding tube or initiate parenteral nutrition.

3-4 days: Nutritional support likely needed if recovery is not imminent.
Consider feeding tube placement if patient will be anesthetized.

1-2 days: Write feeding orders, monitor food intake and clinical condition daily.

Note: If the patient is already malnourished, nutritional support should
be instituted as soon as hemodynamically stable.

Create a plan for hospitalized animals:

Create a feeding plan (ie, diet, route, amount, and frequency). Goal is to meet resting energy
requirements (RER), although it may take 2-3 days to reach RER.

1. If able to eat, try voluntary oral feeding or coax feeding.

Write specific feeding orders: “Feed 1/4 can Diet X orally q 6 hrs.”
(diet, route, amount, frequency)

2. Monitor intake. If adequate intake is not achieved orally, assisted feeding techniques are needed:


Enteral nutrition
Nasoesophageal/
likely
nasogastric tube
for<5 days
Upper GI tract
functional
Enteral nutrition
Patient
Laparotomy
anoretic or Surgical
likely
unable
indicated
to eat gastrostomy tube
for>5 days

Patient anoretic or Upper GI tract Jejunostomy Patient

Laparotomy
anoretic or PEG or
unable to eat non-functional tube unable
not indicated
to eat esophagostomy
tube

Patient not Reassess daily for

malnourished and need for parenteral
anorexia likely nutrition (3-5 days
for<5 days anorexia)
Entire GI tract
non-functional
Patient not
malnourished and Parenteral
anorexia likely nutrition
for>5 days

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 Weight* (kg) RER (kcals/day) Weight *(kg) RER (kcals/day)

1.0 70 15.0 534

1.5 95 16.0 560
2.0 118 17.0 586
2.5 139 18.0 612
3.0 160 19.0 637
3.5 179 20.0 662
4.0 198 22.5 723
4.5 216 25.0 783
5.0 234 27.5 841
5.5 251 30.0 897
6.0 268 32.5 953
6.5 285 35.0 1007
7.0 301 37.5 1061
7.5 317 40.0 1113
8.0 333 42.5 1165
8.5 348 45.0 1216
9.0 364 47.5 1267
9.5 379 50.0 1316
10.0 394 52.5 1365
11.0 423 55.0 1414
12.0 451 57.5 1462
13.0 479 60.0 1509
14.0 507

*Based on actual body weight unless BCS>7 (then use optimal body weight)

© World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) 2013. All rights reserved.
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